


17 December

by TheBee



Series: The Bee's 2014 Advent Calendar [17]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Multi-Era, References to Character Death, references to other Doctors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-17
Updated: 2014-12-17
Packaged: 2018-03-01 22:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2789264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBee/pseuds/TheBee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eventually, Susan realizes, this isn't her Dad. But who wants to let that fantasy go?</p>
            </blockquote>





	17 December

**Author's Note:**

> POV: Susan Romana Tyler-Noble  
> WARNING: The Doctor's never polite to himself, when he bumps into himself. And when he's stuck around himself, he resorts to rude names. I'd apologize for the Doctor-on-Doctor bashing, but it's in character.  
> Unbeta'd

_This isn’t Daddy._

That was the thought, oh, maybe really the instinct, that eventually burbled up through her mind. As much as he moved like him and hugged like him and smelled like him—even how the shape of his thoughts was so like him!—that thought could not, would not, be repressed forever.

_This isn’t Daddy._

She snuffled into his shirt, reluctant to let go of the fantasy. He brushed a soothing hum down her back and a different one across the bottom of her thoughts, so very much like her father. But the steady double-thump of two hearts belied the illusion and she realized she needed to stop making pretend.

It was time to face reality.

_This isn’t Daddy._

Susan scrambled to her feet, apologies ready in her mouth, when she saw his face looking up at her. He looked up at her the way Dad had looked up at the stars: half-mad, half-starved, and aware every moment of his own madness and his hunger.

She had cried and clutched at him and called him “Daddy.”

But she hadn’t been the only one making pretend.


End file.
